Combined rope-clamp and tag-holder



(No Model.)

P. WERUM.

COMBINED ROPE CLAMP AND TAG HOLDER. No. 373.506.

Patented Nov. 22, 1887.

N. PEYERS, Phuw-umu n mv. wuhzn um, ac.

UNITED STATES PHILIP \VERUM, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

COMBINED ROPE-CLAMP AND TAG-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.373,506, dated November22, 1887.

Application filed July 20, 1887. Serial No. 245,618. (No model.)

To all 1072,0712 it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PHILIP WERUM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, havein-Vented certain new and useful Improvements in aGombined Rope Clamp andTag-Holder; and I do declare the following to be afull,clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings,'and to the letters and figures ofreference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in combined cord-clamps andtag-holders, partic ularly adapted for use in mail-bags; and it consistsof the peculiar construction and combination of parts, as will behereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an improved clamp andtag-holder which secures itself upon the cord or rope and thetag in theholder by frictional contact only, and in such asecure manner that theparts cannot be displaced, and the cord and tag are simultaneouslyreleased at one operation, so that either can be removed at will withoutrequiring the adjustment of separate devices, the parts being simple andstrong in construction, effective and reliable in operation, and cheapof manufacture.

A further object of my invention is to so an range the cord in the clampthat it is effectually prevented from twisting at either end of theclamp, while at the same time the cord is so disposed that it is inposition at all times for the clamping-slide to bind thereon.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of myimproved cord-clamp and tag-holder. Fig. 2 is a top plan View. Fig. 3 isa vertical longitudinal sectional view on the line a: m of Fig. 3. Fig.4 is a detail perspective view of the clamping-slide detached from thedevice, and Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional View on the line y y ofFig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference denotecorresponding parts in all thefigures, A designates the base-plate of acombined cord-clamp and tag-holder embodying my invention, whichbase-plate is preferably made rectangular in form. The said plate isprovided on one side, at the side edges thereof, with longitudinalparallelfianges orribsaa, in the opposing faces of which are formed1ongitudinal channels or grooves a", in which is fitted a tag-plate, B.This tag-plate is pro vided at one end with an angular lip or flange. b,which is fitted in a recess or notch. b, formed in one side of the baseplate A, so that the tagplate is held from endwise movement and securelyin place in the clamp, and the saidtagplate is arranged a short distancefrom and parallel with the base-plate, to leave an intermediate space orchamber, in which a paper or other tag, B, is fitted. The tag-plateisfurther provided with a longitudinal slot, I), through which the name ofthe station or the destina tion printed on the paper or other tag can bereadily observed.

The base-plate A ofthe clamp is further pro vided on the reverse side tothe flanges or ribs a with integral keepers 0, preferably two in number,which are arranged in line with each other near opposite ends of thebase-plate. Between these keepers a longitudinal slot, D, is formed inthe base-plate A, which slot aligns or coincides with the slot ofthetag-plate when the tag is removed, and in the slot D of the base-plateoperates the clamping-slide E, the peculiar construction of which I willnow proceed to describe.

The body e of the clamping-slide is of such a width as to fit snugly inthe longitudinal slot of the base-plate and to be capable of slidingfreely back and forth therein, and the front end of the body is curvedupwardly, as at c, to form or provide a binding-surface at e, whichimpinges upon the tag B, when the slide is thrust forward, to clamp thetag securely in place by frictional contact solely, the binding actionof the said surface taking place only when the slide is thrust forward,and is acconiplished in the manner presently described.

From the upwardly-curved end e ofthe body of the clampingslide projectsa forwardly-extending finger, which is inclined downwardly from ahorizontal line drawn through the body of the slide, and from the rearend of the body of the slide extends a horizontal arm, 9, with thelateral faces at the free rear extremity thereof formed with integralwedge-surfaces gg, to thereby make the arm wedge-shaped in longitudinalsection, these wedge-shaped surfaces being corrugated or toothed to morefirmly bite on the rope or cord G. Theinclined fingerf of the slideprojects into one of the keepers, the one at the front end of thebase-plate, and the free end of the finger rides or impinges upon theupper surface of thesaid plate, and the rearwardlyextending arm 9 passesthrough the keeper at the opposite rear end of the base-plate,sufficient space being left between the sides of the keepers and thefinger and arm, when the slide is drawn rearward, to permit the cord orrope G to pass between the same.

The body of the slide at the upper extremity of the curved end 6thereof, which forms the binding surface e", is formed with guide eyesor loops h h, which are arranged on opposite sides of the finger f, andabove the same and through the eyes or loops is passed the cord or'cordsG. In fitting the cord or rope G'in the clamp it is first doubled uponitself and connected to the mail-bag, or two cords may be used which areproperly secured to the bag. and the ends of the cord or cords arepassed through the front keeper on opposite sides of the fingerf, thenthrough the eyes or loops h h, and finally. through the rear keeper onopposite sides of the arm thereby allowing the free ends of the cord orcords to project beyond the rear end of the clamp.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The cord having been firstproperly fitted in the clamp and the tag B inserted in the space betweenthe base and tag plates, the slide is thrust forward by hand to pressthe wedgeshaped surfaces of the arm g into contactwith the cord or cordsG, and thereby forces the same laterally against the sides of the rearkeeper, these wedge-shaped surfaces grasping the cord firmly and holdingthe device thereto in such a secure manner thatit cannot becomedisplaced or detached. As the slide is thrust forward to clamp the cord,the inclined finger frides on the base-plate and forces thebindingsurface 0 of the body of the slide firmly upon the tag B, andthus holds the tag securely-in place against the tag-plate. It will thusbe seen that the cord is gripped firmly and the tag held in place by thesimple forward thrust of the clamping-slide, which can be quicklyperformed with great ease, and both the cord and tag can besimultaneously released by a retrograde movement of the slide when it isdesired to adjust either the cord in the clamp or replace the tag withanother one.

I attach especial importance to the peculiar construction and action ofthe clamping-slide, as it performs its functions in ahighly-satisfactory manner, and is extremely simple in construction aswell as reliable and effective in operation.

Slight changes in the form and proportion of parts. can be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of my invention.d

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Paterit, is-- 1. The combination of abase-plate having keepers, a slide guided by the keepers and providedwith two guides and laterally-extending wedge shaped surfaces, and acord passing through the guides and on opposite sides of thewedge-shaped surfaces,to be pressed by the latter against one of thekeepers, substantially ,as described.

2. The combination of a slotted base-plate,

a'slide operating in the slot of the plate and having thebinding-surface to operate against a tag, and an inclined arm connectedto the slide and riding on the base-plate when the slide is thrustforward to depress the bindingsurface, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a slotted having keepers, a slide provided at anintermediate point of its length with a binding-surface to operateagainst a tag,an inclined finger projecting from one end of the slide, awedgeshaped arm projecting from the opposite end of the slide, and acord fitted on opposite sides of the arm and finger, between the latterand the sides of the keepers, substantially as described.

4. In a combined cord-clamp and tagholder, the combination of abase-plate having keepers, a cord passed through the keepers, a tag, anda slide guided by the keepers and having plurality of integral clampingsurfaces, for simultaneously impinging upon the cord and tag to bind theparts in place ata single thrust of the slide in one direction,substantially as described.

5. In a combined cord-clamp and tag-holder, the combination of abase-plate having the keepers, a slide for clamping a tag and carryingthe guide eyes or loops, a finger connected to the slide at a pointbelowthe guide-eyes and between the latter, and wedge-shaped arm ex: tendingfrom the opposite end of the slide for clamping a cord, substantially asdescribed.

6. In a combined cord-clamp and tag'holder, the combination of a slottedbase-plate having the keepers, a slotted tag-plate fixed to thebase-plate and arranged to leave a space between the two plates, andacurved slide operating in the slot of the base-plate and having aninclined finger at one end and a wedge shaped arm at the opposite end,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afifiX my signature in presenceof two witnesses.

PHILIP WERUM.

\Vitnesses:

WILLIAM E. COLE, E. D. MOORE.

base-plate

